transmission

American  

[trans-mish-uhn, tranz-] / trænsˈmɪʃ ən, trænz- /

noun

• transmissions
  plural

1. the act or process of transmitting.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

2. the fact of being transmitted.

   Synonyms:

   conveyance, passing, passage, transfer

3. something that is transmitted.

4. Machinery.

   1. transference of force between machines or mechanisms, often with changes of torque and speed.

   2. a compact, enclosed unit of gears or the like for this purpose, as in an automobile.

5. Radio and Television. the broadcasting of electromagnetic waves from one location to another, as from a transmitter to a receiver.

6. Physics. transmittance.

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transmission British  

/ trænzˈmɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of transmitting

2. something that is transmitted

3. the extent to which a body or medium transmits light, sound, or some other form of energy

4. the transference of motive force or power

5. a system of shafts, gears, torque converters, etc, that transmits power, esp the arrangement of such parts that transmits the power of the engine to the driving wheels of a motor vehicle

6. the act or process of sending a message, picture, or other information from one location to one or more other locations by means of radio waves, electrical signals, light signals, etc

7. a radio or television broadcast

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontransmission
  noun
• pretransmission
  noun
• retransmission
  noun
• transmissibility
  noun
• transmissiveness
  noun
• transmissible
  adjective
• transmissive
  adjective
• untransmissive
  adjective
• transmissively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• transmissions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of transmission

1605–15; < Latin trānsmissiōn- (stem of trānsmissiō ) a sending across, equivalent to trānsmiss ( us ) (past participle of trānsmittere to send across) + -iōn- -ion. See trans-, mission

Explanation

Transmission is the act of transferring something from one spot to another, like a radio or TV broadcast, or a disease going from one person to another. The noun transmission comes from the Latin word transmissio, which means “sending over or across, passage.” The transmission of a message is the delivery of the message. Transmission can also be a communication sent out by radio or television, while the transmission of a disease is the passing of that virus or bacteria between people. A vehicle’s transmission is the part of the engine that uses the energy created by the burning fuel to make the axle turn.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

transmission transmissions

The transmission malfunctioned in his 1978 boat, Miss Julie, which he also uses for crabbing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Despite those conditions, Edison kept power flowing through its high-voltage transmission lines built in the mountains above Altadena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

"Every death like that points to a chain of transmission we have not yet found," he said, warning that "until every chain is found and broken, the epidemic will continue".

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

One example is the ring resonator, a basic optical device used in both scientific research and data transmission.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

Believe me, we had a very long time to listen to the four-wheel-drive transmission and every bump in the road for the full length of two entire countries.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Along with paying the fines, the GEO Group agreed to draft plans for avoiding aerosol transmissions at 12 secure and reentry facilities in California, including five detention centers that hold immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

To measure how significant this broadening could be, the researchers turned to a source of data much closer to home: radio transmissions from spacecraft operating within our solar system.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 16, 2026

The inconsistent purity of the copper could garble transmissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

This setup reduces Nebius’ dependence on building new grid transmissions and shortens the timeline to power its facilities, the company said.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

Editors quickly signed up to pay Morse for instant news transmissions by telegraph.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• broadcast
• communication
• delivery
• gearbox